State and community leaders attend ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 4.8-megawatt project that will produce enough clean energy for 2,800 Wisconsin homes, while reducing CO2 emissions by the equivalent of removing 38,000 cars from the roads
Hilbert, WI. — Veolia Environnement North America (VENA) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to mark the commencement of operations for its new landfill gas-to-energy project (LFGTE) at the Veolia ES Hickory Meadows Landfill, located in eastern Wisconsin. State, community and business leaders gathered at the project site to recognize the environmental and economic benefits of the project for the state of Wisconsin.
This project represents a comprehensive, beginning-to-end environmental solution that begins with the collection of solid waste, continues with the land-filling process and decomposition of matter, progresses through the collection of landfill gas, and ends with the efficient production of clean energy for use by the local utility.
“We are proud to partner with our sister Veolia company on our first renewable energy facility in North America. This is a significant project for our company and we are excited to see the plant in operation,” said Cyrille du Peloux, president and chief executive officer of Veolia Energy North America. “Not only will this innovative landfill gas-to-energy project further diversify the company’s mix of efficient energy assets, it will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the region.”
The Hickory Meadows landfill gas-to-energy project has the capacity to generate 42,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable electricity per year, enough to power 2,800 Wisconsin homes. The renewable power facility features three landfill reciprocating engine generator sets with a capacity of 1.6 megawatt (MW) each, fueled exclusively by the landfill gas.
The gas, which consists of about 50 percent methane and 50 percent carbon dioxide, is naturally generated through the anaerobic decomposition of organic material in a landfill. At the site, the gas had previously been captured and flared off by the site in a controlled manner. With the addition of the plant, the gas is distributed via the landfill’s existing gas collection system to the renewable power facility, where liquid and particulate matter is removed. The landfill gas is then injected into the internal combustion engines to produce environmentally clean electric power, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
By using the landfill gas for this beneficial re-use project and displacing fossil fuels, the direct and avoided emission reductions of this 4.8-MW plant will be about 25,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent of removing nearly 38,000 automobiles from the road (according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s emission reductions and environmental benefits calculator).
“This project is a prime example of how the Veolia family of companies can take full advantage of our operational synergies and help the communities we serve turn their waste into a resource,” said Richard Burke, president and chief executive officer of Veolia Environmental Services North America. “Landfill gas-to-energy projects are an important part of our own sustainability strategy, and this project is a natural extension of those efforts. We maintain a robust landfill gas-to-energy portfolio and are committed to developing more renewable energy projects across our footprint in North America.”
Veolia Energy will sell all of the power generated by the plant, along with the Renewable Energy Credits associated with the energy output, to Wisconsin Public Service (WPS). Landfill gas qualifies as an eligible resource under Wisconsin’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), so the power produced at the Hickory Meadows will help WPS meet its RPS requirements, while also supporting the state’s goal of having 10 percent of its retail energy needs come from renewable resources by 2015.
In addition to the associated environmental benefits, the project provided a number of economic benefits to the surrounding area. The plant development and construction process involved the efforts of nearly 20 Wisconsin-based subcontractors, suppliers and local businesses.
This project marks the first occasion for Veolia Environnement North America to combine its complementary expertise and capabilities in both waste and energy management to deliver an end-to-end environmental solution.
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About Veolia Energy North America
Based in Boston, MA, Veolia Energy North America is a leading U.S. operator and developer of energy efficient solutions. The company is part of the Veolia Environnement companies in North America, with 30,000 North American employees. Visit the company’s Web sites at http://www.veoliaenergyna.com and http://www.veolianorthamerica.com.
Around the world, Veolia Energy manages more than 2,600 MW of alternative and renewable energy facilities. As a result of Veolia Energy’s efforts to optimize energy and utilize renewable resources across the globe, the company reduced worldwide greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 by 7.1 million metric tons.
About Veolia Environmental Services North America
Based in Chicago, Veolia Environmental Services North America Corp. is the leading provider of fully integrated waste, environmental and industrial cleaning solutions to residential, municipal, commercial and industrial customers across the US, Canada and the Caribbean. Visit the company’s web site at http://www.VeoliaES.com.
Hickory Meadows is the twelfth active landfill gas-to-energy project in Veolia Environmental Services North American portfolio. These projects exemplify the company’s commitment to keeping the environment clean and sustainable for future generations by striving to be on the leading edge of environmental protection, maintenance and stewardship.
The Veolia Environmental Services group is the global benchmark for waste management and resource recovery and the only global manager of liquid, solid, non-hazardous and hazardous wastes. From waste collection to treatment, recovery and recycling, the company provides innovative, efficient and sustainable waste solutions to municipal and industrial clients.
About Veolia Environnement
Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE and NYSE: VE) is the worldwide reference in environmental solutions. With more than 317,000 employees, the company has operations all around the world and provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of municipal and industrial customers in four complementary segments: water management, waste management, energy management and passenger transportation. Veolia Environnement recorded revenue of $46.5 billion in 2010. http://www.veolia.com
Press Contact:
Veolia Energy North America – Rowan Sanders
Tel: 617-849-6656
E-mail: rsanders@veoliaenergyna.com
Veolia Environmental Services North America – Denisse Ike
Tel: 312-552-2882
E-mail: Denisse.ike@veoliaes.com
